Fall is here and so is Halloween, so we made our trip to the farm with the kids. It is a yearly ritual for us, picking the pumpkins, taking a hay ride through the mazes and petting and feeding the farm animals. This time the animals would not eat at all. I guess they were too tired & bored with all the zillion kids feeding them. They just sat in the shade and chewed on with a drowsy look.
Its Saturday and we arranged a get together with our family living in the town. It is great to have family near by when we are sooo far away from home. However, even a small get together would need some food right? When it is a preplanned party I always arrange to cook before hand so I get some time with the guests. This time I had absolutley no time ! I mean they were an hour away… I need a quick fix.
Gujias are fried pastries filled with coconut or khoya (Thickened Milk) and dry fruits. It is a festival sweet and mostly prepared during Holi, but what the heck?! Why not during Diwali or any other festival too? During these days of Durga Puja, and all the upcoming festivals I was actually craving for Gujias which I had years ago when we visited india during Holi. My hubby’s Aunt had prepared these delicous Gujias, & till date I have not forgotten them. Unfortunately, I did not get an opportunity to ask her the recipe. This is what I came up with and it might not taste like the unforgetable ones back in India, but these did taste delicous too.
Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Hummus is Chickpeas in Arabic. And as everyone knows there are a lot of variations to the traditional Hummus. I love Middle Eastern food, with all the flavors in it, but when I cook at home I do tweak it to cater to my taste and mood. This is a very spicy hummus with a tinge of sweetness of the roasted bell pepper. The traditional Hummus calls for the use of Tahini, But I have used whole sesame seeds instead. I like the crunch of the broken sesame seeds, as well as the coarse peanuts that I have used here.
Homemade Harissa
Harissa is a traditional side with Moroccan and North African food. It is a potently spicy sauce, with the main ingredient being a lot of Hot Peppers. I make this very often for quite a few reasons. It is very easy to make, & the Harissa added to about anything charges up the taste. Add it to rice, salads, dips, couscous or any other sauce or sides and you have a tongue tickling sensational taste.
Layered Coffee Gateau
Coffee Gateau is one of the easiest & delicatley delicious desserts I have ever come across. The best part about it is that it does not involve the time consuming labor & stages to create a sophisticated dessert. This is something my hubby & his brother would make together when they were younger, and now my daughter takes the initiative to make this with my hubby. But do not get turned off by the uncomplicated ingredients and the simplicty of the process, for this is indeed a crowd pleasing dessert !!
Spiced Apple Ginger Bread
Really who can resist the aroma of apple, cinnamon and hot bread filling up the entire house? Even if the temperature is still climbing mid 80’s here in October, it is still officially fall:-D I am not complaining (well may be a little bit) about Texas, but I do miss the change of fall colors of the North East. We lived there for quite a few years. The crisp breeze, the floating colored leaves are a dream now. We used to live across the street of the Cheesequake State park, and the view from every window of our house was breathtaking during this time. We do have the photographs for consolation.
Labra: A Festive Combination of Vegetables & Spices
These 2 months of September & October make me extremely homesick. The cool air, clear skies and the while floating clouds spill out all the memories of the biggest religious festival of West Bengal: Durga Puja, the community celebration, and along with that- very special food.
Murg Malai Tikka Kabab
Chicken Tikka makes regular appearance in all Indian restaurants. The Malai kabab is little different from the usual orange hued chicken tikka that you see in the appetizer section of the restaurant’s menu. These are irresistible tender succulent pieces of chicken that melts in your mouth as they are marinated in thick yogurt, creme (malai), cheese, herbs & spices and grilled to perfection. This makes great appetizers or have it as a main meal with grilled vegetables and your choice of rice, or couscous.
Stuffed Pear in Spiced Orange Sauce
The Only Lonely pear stared back at me from the fruit basket. And I did not feel like eating this fruit at all. I knew if I was another day late, it would start having the stale brown spots. Well to save this little soul, I tried out this yummy fruity dessert. Long long time back I had come across a recipe( I do not remember where), which called for baking pears with the dessert wine Asti. I did not have any, so I just cooked up this easy way to boil it in the orange sauce. (I always love anything with orange or orange zest.)
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